Georgia Drought Update: Getting Worse - July 30 2012

In my last drought update - Georgia Drought Update: No Improvement - July 12 2012 the title said it all, 'No Improvement'. That being said, this months update should come as no surprise, the drought in Georgia is getting worse.

While many areas in Georgia have seen afternoon and evening summer type pulse showers and thunderstorms, they have done little to overcome the recent heat and soil moisture evaporation. Even here in Cataula where I'm running above average in precipitation for the month of July, the creek on the back 40 remains dry. At my location in Cataula, GA. I've received 50.63 inches in the last 365 days, And 6.79 inches of rain for July 2012 as of July 29^th, both above average for my area.

Here are the stats from around the state.. Columbus represents my area as I am Just north.

LOCATION   TOTAL RAINFALL    NORMAL    DEPARTURE     PERCENT
            LAST 365 DAYS    VALUE     FROM NORMAL   OF NORMAL

ATLANTA        34.52         49.71      -15.19         69%
ATHENS         35.68         46.35      -10.67         77%
COLUMBUS       38.29         46.77       -8.48         82%
MACON          32.01         45.68      -13.67         70%

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
115 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012

LONG TERM DROUGHT CONTINUES OVER MOST OF CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EXPANDS INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA.

THE SEVERE TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONTINUES OVER MOST OF CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EXPANDS INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA. THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW REMAINS IN A NEUTRAL WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE SUMMER SEASON. THE DROUGHT IMPACTS HAVE GRADUALLY WORSEN IN AREAS OF BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL. SOME VEGETATION HAS GONE DORMANT DUE TO THE LACK OF MOISTURE AND THE INCREASE IN EVAPORATION RATES. MOST SMALL LAKE...POND...STREAM AND RIVER LEVELS WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL TO SOME RECORD LOWS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

A FEW DAYS OF RAIN BROUGHT SOME RELIEF TO THE DROUGHT STRICKEN AREAS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OCCURRED OVER MOST OF CENTRAL GEORGIA AND 2 TO 5 INCHES OVER MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA DURING THE PAST 14 DAYS. THE DRIEST AREA WITH LESS THAN ONE INCH OF RAIN WAS FROM MACON TO SPARTA TO LYONS TO ABBEVILLE.

THE RAINFALL DEFICITS AND SOIL MOISTURE IMPROVED IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED 2 INCHES OR MORE DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS. HOWEVER...THE AREAL COVERAGE OF THE SEVERE TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT AREA INCREASED TO THE NORTH. THE AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR ROME THROUGH CANTON AND GAINESVILLE TO TOCCOA.

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Here's a look at the drought in Georgia. July 10 on the left which was the focus of my last drought report [ linked above ] and the current drought report in Georgia as of July 24 2012. As you can see, drought conditions in Georgia have worsened since the last report as explained in the above report.

While were on Georgia drought, here are the current Lake levels for some of the more important lakes in Georgia as of 942 AM EDT SUN JUL 29 2012

LAKE        SUMMER POOL  CURRENT LEVEL    DEPARTURE
                                           IN FEET
ALLATOONA       840          836.96         -3.04
CARTERS        1074         1073.79         -0.21
HARTWELL        660          649.68        -10.32
LANIER         1071         1063.27         -7.73
THURMOND        330          319.65        -10.35
WEST POINT      635          628.59         -6.41

Here are the forecast Lake levels for the next 4 weeks. All below summer full pool.

Here's another image showing current drought conditions in Georgia as of July 24 2012.

Here are drought conditions across the Southeast. Current on the right.

Here's a look at drought severity across the entire United States as of July 24 2012 on the right and 2 weeks ago in the left. Only 19.92 percent of the country is drought free.

I'm still waiting on the tropics to become active again. While the Hurricane season saw an early start with named storms in both May and June, it looks like July 2012 will go by without a named storm for the first time since 2009. We can still hope a tropical system will bring drought relief in August to Georgia and other areas of the southeast.

For all information Current to 2007 on Drought in Georgia, See The Drought Files.

Georgia Drought Update: No Improvement - July 12 2012

Areas of central Georgia to southwest Georgia are still enduring the highest level of drought 'Exceptional Drought', which now covers 21.73 percent of the state as of July 10 2012. On June 26 2012 this area was 19.98 percent. Not far behind in this general area is a large area of 'Extreme Drought' which now covers 38.44 percent of the state as of July 10 2012. On June 26 2012 this area was 31.72 percent. The state of Georgia as a whole is experiencing drought except for the southeastern most part. 12.29 percent of Georgia is drought free as of July 10 2012, slightly worse than on June 26 2012 which showed 13.91 percent of Georgia drought free.

While some areas in Georgia have seen rain, others have not. Compounding the lack of rainfall during the past couple of weeks was the heatwave that swept through much of the south.

Here are the current drought conditions in Georgia. June 26 on the left and July 10 on the right.

Here's a look at drought conditions throughout the southeast. June 26 on the left and July 10 on the right.

Here's a panel showing Departure from Normal Precipitation Top Left, Normal Precipitation Top Right, and Observed Precipitation Bottom.

Here is the current Drought severity Index for the entire U.S. on the left and the amount of Precipitation needed to bring drought conditions to near normal on the right. Much of the country is experiencing drought conditions at this time, but this is not something we have not seen before in past years.

Here is the latest Drought Outlook for the U.S., It's not looking good during the next few months.

For us in the south and southeast we have the potential for some drought relief much like Florida saw recently. We can hope for a tropical system to move through the area in the coming months.

For all information Current to 2007 on Drought in Georgia, See The Drought Files.

Georgia Drought Update - May 3 2012

As anticipated, the small area of drought improvement in Northeast Georgia last week, is all but gone this week.

Since my last drought update on April 23 2012, it has been quite dry across much of Georgia. Abnormally Dry conditions continue to cover much of North Georgia, with Moderate drought conditions beginning to creep back in.
Severe Drought conditions continue to hold in areas of Southeast and North central Georgia, ever so slowly creeping towards North Georgia.
Extreme Drought conditions now cover a large area of Georgia from North Central to the state line with Florida.
Exceptional Drought conditions, the highest level of drought, has expanded in Central Georgia while other areas experiencing Exceptional Drought in south Georgia remaining unchanged since my last report.

The overall breakdown on drought conditions in Georgia as of May 1 2012 are as follows:

The entire state of Georgia is experiencing Abnormally Dry conditions, 96.50 %, except for a small area mentioned in North GA.
Moderate Drought covers 88.56 % of the state.
Severe Drought covers 84.28 % of the state.
Extreme Drought covers 70.94 % of the state.
Exceptional Drought covers 25.85 % of the state.

Here's a graphic showing Drought conditions from April 17 thru May 1 2012

To show how dry it has been in Georgia and much of the southeast, here's a graphic showing how much rain these areas have seen since the beginning of 2012. Notice the areas of Red in Georgia and Florida; these areas have only received 50 to 25 percent of normal rainfall since the start of the year.

To put the above in perspective, here's a graphic showing departure from normal rainfall from May of 2011 thru April 2012. Much of Georgia is showing a deficit of 8 inches with areas in southwest Georgia pushing the 20 inch below normal mark.

Here's a look at precipitation or lack of for select areas around the state of Georgia through May 2 2012.

This first table shows total rainfall for the last 365 days:

LOCATION   TOTAL RAINFALL    NORMAL    DEPARTURE     PERCENT
            LAST 365 DAYS    VALUE     FROM NORMAL   OF NORMAL

ATLANTA         32.33        49.74       -17.41        65%
ATHENS          29.11        46.39       -17.28        63%
COLUMBUS        38.40        46.81        -8.41        82%
MACON           28.91        45.75       -16.84        63%

This table shows total rainfall fro the last 90 days:

LOCATION   TOTAL RAINFALL    NORMAL    DEPARTURE     PERCENT
           (LAST 90 DAYS)    VALUE     FROM NORMAL   OF NORMAL

ATLANTA         7.53         12.91        -5.38        58%
ATHENS          5.89         12.12        -6.23        49%
COLUMBUS        7.88         13.52        -5.64        58%
MACON           5.30         11.87        -6.57        45%

At this time it's looking like drought conditions will continue to expand and intensify for Georgia. I expect the same can be said for much of the southeast as I see no reason at this time not to think this. It appears a summer type pattern has set up early this year with scattered hit and miss showers and storms, and as earlier this week in Georgia, above average and record breaking high temperatures. Showers and storms of this type offer little relief for drought stricken areas, and what little rain may fall is quickly absorbed in the dry earth and back into the atmosphere.

Here's a look at Drought conditions across the rest of the U.S.:

And the latest Drought Outlook released May 3 2012:

For past Drought reports see the Drought Files. From 2007 to current date.

Summertime Thunderstorms in the Spring

Not a whole lot going on in the local area at this time, which is a good thing. We'll have plenty of time for severe weather as spring is just getting underway and summer is around the corner.

The setup for this week is reminiscent of summer, bringing a chance of scattered showers and possibly thunderstorms this week during the warmest time of the day. Not everyone will see this and Nothing severe is expected, but stronger thunderstorms sometimes provide a little excitement in the way of gusty winds, lightning and sometimes small hail. Here is a snip of what I expected this week, from Wednesday March 7 posted on Facebook

Towards the beginning of next week we might hear a rumble of thunder thrown into the mix. At this time, 'NO SEVERE' weather is expected. I'll keep an eye on this should things change.

I'm still not expecting any severe weather this week, but as we all know, sometimes it pops up unexpectedly in this type of setup where we have warm temperatures and plenty of moisture / humidity to work with.

Here's a graphic from the National Weather Service Peachtree City GA. showing the best area for thunderstorm development in Georgia today. You can also expect this across the Chattahoochee River in Alabama as well.

Speaking of Alabama, here's a graphic for today via the National Weather Service Birmingham Al.

Drought Update July 21 2011 - Recent Rains Ease Georgia Drought

Recent Rains during the past week have eased the drought severity in Georgia and across the river in Alabama. Other areas of the southeast have noted little change.

Here's a graphic showing the difference a week can make. Last week is on the left and current on the right.

As you can see in the above, the area of darkest red which denotes 'Exceptional Drought' has been removed from much of Georgia. Only central and southeast-central areas remain in 'exceptional drought, while much of the state is still in 'extreme drought' denoted by the lighter shade of red.

Here is the breakdown of Drought affected areas throughout Georgia. Notice the 'D4' drought category which has shrank from 35.52% of the state down to 8.74%.

And here is what the rest of the Southeast is looking like this week on the right, compared to last week on the left.

As mentioned, recent rains are what brought drought relief to areas of Georgia and Alabama. Many areas in central Georgia saw anywhere from a quarter inch to two inches of rain, while some areas in southern Georgia saw upwards of as much as five inches. Here is a graphic showing rain amounts for the past week.

Here is a graphic showing the departure from normal rainfall in Georgia and Alabama in what is known as the 'water year' which begins on October 1. Many areas are showing a deficit of eight to upwards of twenty inches in the deep south.

Here is a graphic showing how much rain we still need to bring conditions back to normal. Last Week some areas in Georgia needed over fifteen inches of rain. Those areas now need twelve to fifteen inches. Other areas in central Georgia last week needed six to twelve inches. This area has grown and now needs nine to twelve inches to bring drought conditions back to normal.

Drought stricken areas are not out of the woods yet by a long shot. A couple dry weeks and exceptional along with extreme drought conditions will return to much of the area. We are still waiting on a tropical system to form and move in our direction. Looking at some of the long range models, there is a hint of something in the first week of August forming in the Atlantic that may move or come in our direction. It is still to far out to determine the exact path any system would take, or even if it will form at all. It's still early in Hurricane season which means we still have plenty of time.

Earlier this week I posted on Facebook a map by 'Joe Bastardi' of AccuWeather fame which shows what he thinks will be the highest area of impact for tropical systems this year. If this hold true, we may have better than average chances of a couple of these systems bringing rains to the southeast. Here is the graphic:

Until next weeks drought update, be safe and stay hydrated in this heat.

Hot and Dry : Georgia June 2011 Climate Summary

If you happen to live in Georgia, you know it was Hot and Dry in June. If you've followed along here at Cataula GA WX you've read about some of the Record Breaking Heat, and Drought Conditions in Georgia. Here is the summary for June 2011......

Georgia Climate Summary for June 2011

Prepared by Pam Knox, Assistant State Climatologist
Georgia State Climatology Office

Very hot daytime temperatures and lack of rainfall led to strengthened drought across Georgia in June. Average temperatures were at or near record levels for the month across the state.

Temperatures across the state were above normal everywhere in Georgia for a fifth straight month. In Atlanta, the monthly average temperature was 81.2 degrees F (4.4 degrees above normal), in Athens 81.0 degrees (4.7 degrees above normal), Columbus 84.4 (5.2 degrees above normal), Macon 82.9 (4.9 above normal), Savannah 83.0 (4.2 above normal), Brunswick 82.4 (3.0 above normal), Alma 83.5 (4.2 above normal), Valdosta 83.3 (4.9 above normal) and Augusta 82.1 (4.6 above normal).

This was the warmest June ever in Columbus in 64 years of record. It was the second warmest in Macon in 119 years of record, only surpassed by 84.3 degrees F in June 1952. It was the third warmest June in 133 years of Atlanta records, surpassed by 82.3 degrees F in 1952 and 81.4 degrees F set last year in June 2010. Temperature records in Athens, Alma, Savannah, Valdosta and Augusta were also in the top ten Junes in their histories.

Numerous daily record high temperatures were broken this month. Columbus broke four daily records and tied three more, including 101 degrees F on June 1 and 3, breaking old records of 98 F and 99 F, set respectively in 1998 and 1985. Macon set their a daily record maximum temperature of 103 F on the third, breaking the old record of 102 F set in 1985. Alma set new daily temperature records on six different days, including a reading of 103 F on the 15th which broke the old record of 100 F set in 1981.

The NWS office in Savannah noted that their new daily maximum temperature record of 102 F on the 13th (breaking the old record of 100 F set in 1880) was the warmest it has been in Savannah since July 20, 2000.

Precipitation in June was scattered due to pup-up thunderstorms on many days during the month. The wettest areas were in northern Georgia and in the southeastern part of the state, where showers helped firefighters control the large fires near the Okefenokee Swamp that have been burning since late April.

source: www.weather.gov

The highest monthly total precipitation from National Weather Service reporting stations was 7.09 inches in Savannah (1.60 inches above normal) and the lowest was in Augusta at 1.98 inches (2.07 below normal). Valdosta received 3.50 inches (1.86 below normal), Athens 2.44 inches (1.50 inches above normal), Alma 3.11 (2.38 below normal), Columbus 2.64 (0.87 below normal), Macon 2.76 (0.78 below normal), Brunswick 3.86 (1.19 below normal) and Atlanta 2.20 (1.43 inches below normal).

source: www.weather.gov

The highest single-day rainfall from CoCoRaHS stations was 5.63 inches in Chatham County on Tybee Island on June 30. Another nearby observer on Wilmington Island reported 4.26 inches on the same day. The same Tybee Island observer had the highest monthly rainfall amount of 10.08 inches, followed by 8.65 inches in Rabun Gap (Rabun County) and 8.44 inches on Wilmington Island.

Severe weather was reported somewhere in the state on 25 days in June. There were no tornadoes reported in the month, but scattered hail and wind damage and power outages were observed at locations around the state. Lightning struck a building during AthFest in Athens on the 24th during an outdoor concert. Fortunately, no one was injured, although brick on the facade rained down into the street. The widest outbreaks of wind and hail were reported on June 15 and 26.

Drought covered over 85 percent of the state by the end of June, up from 81 percent at the start of the month. The drought increased in strength significantly in spite of scattered showers, so that when June ended the percent of the state in exceptional drought went from zero to over 40 percent, all in the southern half of the state. Rural cities like Doerun and Dawson in southwestern Georgia were running out of drinking water due to the low groundwater levels.

Soil moisture conditions across Georgia declined slightly during the month, as the lack of rainfall and high daytime temperatures accelerated evapotranspiration and stressed plants in spite of scattered showers. Farmers switched from peanuts to cotton or soybeans due to the dry soils and late planting conditions. Herds were being culled due to lack of forage and expensive feed.

Tied, not Broken : Record High Temprature : 25 consecutive above 90

Columbus tied a high temperature on June 21 2011 the first official day of Summer. Of course if you live around Columbus or in the south you may be saying like most, summer started a month ago. On May 22 2011, Columbus set a record high of 96 degrees breaking the old record of 95 set in 1996.

Yesterday June 21 2011 Columbus reached 100 degrees tying the previous record set in 2006. So far for the month of June 2011 everyday has been above 90 degrees, with the hottest so far being 102 degrees on June 1. Going back to May 2011 Columbus has seen 25 consecutive days above 90 degrees.

Maybe this will help cool you down. From March 1 2009 -

 

Storms bring Rain to Cataula, surounding area

To much delight, the local area saw some rain last night and early this morning, some of which was accompanied by stronger thunderstorms. I did manage to get some video of the lightning along with some stills from the video seen below. Not the greatest; what do you expect from a cheap camera ?



Stills from above video





While severe storms crossed through and around the area, there wasn't much damage to report locally. The usual tree taking out power lines and power outages due to some other reason, not yet known for some in Harris county. I did hear the Hail at my location and even saw it when I went outside. It was light and pea sized lasting about 30 seconds. It was gone before I could grab some and get a picture. I mentioned this on Facebook and Twitter

As far as storm reports go, for the local area there were 2. As usual, there were likely more but unreported.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
139 AM EDT THU JUN 16 2011
 

1228 AM     HAIL             1 S COLUMBUS            32.45N 84.99W
06/16/2011  E0.50 INCH       MUSCOGEE           GA   PUBLIC

1242 AM     TSTM WND DMG     2 ESE COLUMBUS          32.45N 84.96W
06/16/2011                   MUSCOGEE           GA   911 CALL CENTER

            MUSCOGEE COUNTY 911 RELAYED REPORTS OF A DOWNED TREE AND
            A DOWNED POWERLINE IN COLUMBUS.

I haven't checked the rain gauge here at the house yet but, at the Columbus Airport they recorded 0.36 inches according to the National Weather Service.

I hope we can squeeze out some more rain today, but I doubt we will. I now return you to your sweltering heat.

More Record Breaking Heat in Georgia

Yet another Record High in Columbus was set on June 3, 2011. The temperature was another scorcher of 101 degrees. The previous record high was 99 degrees in 1985.

It could be worse. Macon Georgia saw a record high as well, 103 breaking their old record or 102 also in 1985.

Other areas around Georgia also saw their share of hot temperatures. Albany saw 102 and Valdosta saw 101. However, those were not record breaking temperatures.

Record Breaking Temperatures continue, Drought Worsens in Georgia

June 2, 2011 Columbus had another record high temperature of 101 degrees, breaking the old record of 98 set back in 1998. Most of the state had high temperatures well into the mid and upper 90's. Temperatures into the weekend will still be running above normal and we can expect to see records broken or tied once again across the state and local area.

If you were one of the lucky ones yesterday, you saw some scattered showers and thunderstorms some which were severe and warranted warnings being issued. Lucky in that it cooled your area down slightly and briefly. Most of the state remained dry.

How dry is it ?

As you can see in this image from the Drought Monitor Archives, as in my last drought update, 2 weeks makes a big difference in drought severity and coverage.

May 17 thru May 31 2011

Compare the above to this image showing 2 weeks, May 3 thru May 17. On the left May 3 there is little RED indicating 'extreme drought conditions'.

Were do we currently stand ?

The local area is split much like the state of Georgia concerning drought. Some of us are suffering 'Extreme Drought' conditions, while others remain in 'Severe Drought'.

As you can see from this image of drought conditions in the southeast, some of our neighbors in Alabama and Florida are experiencing 'extreme drought' as well. Farther to the north, South Carolina, North Carolina, and even Virginia are also experiencing drought conditions.

As mentioned in other posts, I expect conditions for the short term to remain dry. I also expect conditions to worsen further unless we have a tropical system move through. Even showers and thunderstorms at this point will not overcome current conditions.


How much rain will it take ?

In my last post May 21, according to the Climate Prediction Center we needed 6 to 9 inches of rain to return to normal conditions. At this time the good news, 3 to 5 inches would help relieve the worst conditions for much of the state. The bad news, according to the Climate Prediction Center Drought Monitoring section, the local area now needs 9 to 12 inches for conditions to return to normal. Thats an increase of 3 inches since the last post about 2 weeks ago.

Well, that about covers it until next week for drought conditions. I hope we get much needed rain soon. Check back for updates.

On a side note: During these hot and dry conditions watch out for older folks and your neighbors. Don't forget your pets that are outside as well. Give them fresh water daily and often. You don't drink warm water do you ? Also, if you feed them dry food, don't give them more than they will eat. If there is left over food from the day before, throw it out for the birds. Many people don't know that dry food also spoils. It contains meat by products.
And hey, while were at it, if you have any weather related pictures consider sending them in and I'll put them on the blog. Give some detail about them and who you are as well. Email address is at the top left of the page.

Thanks for reading and until next time, Take Care ! ED

Record Breaking Heat in Columbus and Georgia

August 1, 2010

For June 1, 2011 The temperature reached a scorching 102 degrees in Columbus, breaking the old record of 98 degrees set in 1998.

Other Cities around the state also had highs in 100's.

ALBANY - 102
ALMA - 100
MACON - 100 RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
VALDOSTA - 100

I don't know if the others broke/set a record.

Heres some recent high temperatures from the past weeks in Columbus.

TUE MAY 31 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 96 SET BACK IN 1953.

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MON MAY 30 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 2006.

---

SUN MAY 29 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS SO FAR
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1962.

---

THU MAY 26 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS
YESTERDAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1953.

---

WED MAY 25 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT COLUMBUS...

 THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN COLUMBUS REACHED 95 DEGREES TODAY. THIS
TIES THE RECORD FOR THAT DATE THAT WAS LAST SET 58 YEARS AGO IN 1953.

---

SUN MAY 22 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 96 DEGREES WAS SET AT COLUMBUS TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 95 SET IN 1996.

You can see more records here - http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=ffc

I wonder what this summer will bring ? Feeling kinda Hot and Dry.

Sure is hot ...

How hot is it ?

Well .. yesterday the thermometer in the front yard hit 106°F, and I didn't get a pic. Today it hit 103°F - 104°F, and I did get a pic. As you can see, it is located in an area that is partly sunny, which means it more likely reached 101°F - 102°F.

click to enlarge

One good or nice thing during our current heatwave in central Georgia [USA], the humidity has been relatively low, so heat indices have not been as high as they could have. So as some would say in areas that experience low humidity in the summer months, it's a dry heat.

I need to get my weather station up and running again for better accuracy. A nearby lightning strike in June took it out.

Heat Throws Off Gas Pumps, Motorists Pay

"They F U, They F u, They F U" - Joe Pesci as Leo Gertz in Lethal Weapon staring Mel Gibson & Danny Glover

As temperatures and fuel prices rise, motorists are getting less bang for their buck at the pumps.

Some consumer advocates say oil companies are overcharging customers by $2 billion a year because they don't adjust their pumps when gasoline expands during the higher summer temperatures.

Gas station owners say it would be far too difficult to sell temperature-adjusted fuel. But one state — Hawaii — already does it.

Page link with Audio Report just Click the LISTEN Button- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11833506&ft=1&f=1001